New York is planning to extend an important testing moratorium

Board of Regents Chancellor Betty Rosa has directed New York's Education Department to draft a proposal that would extend the moratorium decoupling student performance on standardized testing with teacher evaluations.

Author:
Chad Arnold, Gannett Albany

Published:
11:37 AM EST November 9, 2018

Updated:
11:38 AM EST November 9, 2018

ALBANY - Board of Regents Chancellor Betty Rosa has directed New York's Education Department to draft a proposal that would extend the moratorium decoupling student performance on standardized testing with teacher evaluations.

The proposal, if approved next month, would extend the moratorium for one year. It was originally set to expire at the end of the current school year.

"What we want to do is be mindful, thoughtful and inclusive in making sure that the voices of our teachers, principles, superintendents, stakeholders, everyones voices are heard," Rosa said.

The extension was praised by the New York State United Teachers union, a powerful entity with 600,000 members that has fought to end the controversial teacher evaluation practice.

"We welcome the extension of the moratorium and thank Chancellor Betty Rosa and the Regents for continuing to recognize that the state’s over-emphasis on standardized testing has worked for neither students nor teachers," the union said in a statement.

Years ago, Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed tying teacher evaluations to students' performance on standardized tests, arguing at the time that it benefits students because it helps root out poor performing teachers.

"Let's remember the children in this process and then we'll end up doing the right thing," Cuomo said at the time.

Efforts to restructure the state's teacher evaluation process have gained traction in Albany in recent months, but haven't been approved by the state Legislature.

That could change in January, when Democrats take control of the state Senate, giving Democrats power over state government. Republicans have long held the majority in the Senate and blocked some reforms sought by the union.

“It has become increasingly clear that standardized tests do not fully account for the diversity of our student populations,” Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, D-Bronx, earlier this year.